Legal Question in Civil Litigation in Maine

Re: court date

If you do not show up you could be arrested depending on the nature of the order requiring your appearance. If the court has ordered you to appear, I would not lightly blow that off. My guess is that the judge would not look kindly on the excuse of a "college class." When you steal things, the court system is under no obligation to operate at your convenience.

Re: court date

Don't miss your court date! A warrant could (and probably will) be issued for your arrest. Try filing a written motion to continue with the judge and the prosecutor, then call the judge's office or the clerk's office and set your motion.

If you can't do that, get a lawyer, who may be able to change or attend the court date for you.

If your court date is an arraignment, check out the Florida Rules of Criminal Procedure. There is a procedure for filing a "Written Plea of Not Guilty" which excuses an appearance at an arraignment and gets you an automatic later court date.

Re: court date

I've reviewed the two replies posted by the participating Florida attorneys, and assuming for a moment that your case is pending in Maine, the answer is much the same: You do not want to miss your court date. If you do, a warrant will likely issue for your arrest. Depending upon the severity of the charge, an attorney might be able to appear on your behalf without you needing to appear.